The Best of the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem

This is actually the best of the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem in the '60s, rather than a career-spanning anthology. All but one of the tracks were recorded between 1961 and 1969, the exception being "Johnson's Motor Car," recorded in 1987 and released in 1994. The Clancy Brothers found their greatest popularity in the '60s, though, so this 16-song compilation is a reasonable representation of their most renowned material. Their live sound is emphasized over their studio one, with 11 of the songs culled from concerts in various years and locations. "The Rising of the Moon," "Irish Rover," and "Patriot Game" are the tunes that might be apt to strike the most familiar chords. "A Nation Once Again," a studio cut with marching drum, actually makes for a welcome variation from the more informal arrangements of their live repertoire. As a whole the disc is consistent, stirringly sung and played Irish folk music, as to be expected from acknowledged top practitioners of the form. Even if you have a few Clancy Brothers Columbia albums already, you might be missing a good deal of these cuts, as no less than seven were recorded in the '60s but not first released until the '90s.